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A Bridal Measure
Love is one of life's greatest joys, and a wedding is a beautiful celebration of two people choosing to share their lives together. In A Bridal Measure, Paul Laurence Dunbar brings together love, joy, music, and the beauty of spring to celebrate this special union.
As birds sing and flowers appear, the poet reminds us how naturally love fits into the rhythm of life. His joyful verses are especially fitting for a wedding, offering words that celebrate new beginnings, happiness, and two people stepping forward together in love.
Updated September 30, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
A Bridal Measure
Poet: Paul Laurence Dunbar
Come, essay a sprightly measure,
Tuned to some light song of pleasure.
Maidens, let your brows be crowned
As we foot this merry round.
From the ground a voice is singing,
From the sod a soul is springing.
Who shall say ‘t is but a clod
Quick’ning upward toward its God?
Who shall say it? Who may know it,
That the clod is not a poet
Waiting but a gleam to waken
In a spirit music–shaken?
Phyllis, Phyllis, why be waiting?
In the woods the birds are mating.
From the tree beside the wall,
Hear the am’rous robin call.
Listen to yon thrush’s trilling;
Phyllis, Phyllis, are you willing,
When love speaks from cave and tree,
Only we should silent be?
When the year, itself renewing,
All the world with flowers is strewing,
Then through Youth’s Arcadian land,
Love and song go hand in hand.
Come, unfold your vocal treasure,
Sing with me a nuptial measure,
Let this springtime gambol be
Bridal dance for you and me.
Key Reflections In This Poem
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Love Is Worth Celebrating
Dunbar fills the poem with music, movement, and happiness as he celebrates two people coming together in love. His words remind us that love is a gift to cherish and a wonderful reason to rejoice.
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Love Brings New Beginnings
The signs of spring throughout the poem reflect renewal and the beginning of something new. In much the same way, marriage begins a new season of life as two people step forward together.
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Love Is Part Of Life's Beauty
Birdsong, flowers, and the awakening earth surround the couple with reminders of love. Dunbar shows us how naturally love belongs among the simple and beautiful things that bring joy to life.
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Conclusion
A Bridal Measure is a joyful celebration of love and the happiness of two people coming together. Through images of birds singing, flowers blooming, and the earth awakening with spring, Paul Laurence Dunbar surrounds the promise of love with the beauty of new beginnings.
A wedding begins a new chapter, but it is the love shared in the days and years that follow that makes the journey so special. May this poem be a reminder to celebrate that love, enjoy the happiness it brings, and treasure the person who walks beside you through life.
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